Concrete testing apparatus



y 1941- e. w. HUTQHINSON 2247553 I cc incnmrs TESVIINIGB APPARATUS" Filed Sept. 5, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 1 GEORGE W Ha rcH/Mso/v ATTORNEY.

July 1, 1941. e. w. HUTCHINSON CONCRETE TESTING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5. 1 -959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 GEORGE W hurcH/Mso/v INVENTOR.

BY2 (ya i ATTORNEY.

J y e. w. HUTCHINSON 2,247,553

CONCRETE TESTING APPARATUS v Filed Sept. 5, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet s Gzonas W fiurcmlvsou INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 1, 1941 STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for measuring the properties of unset 'concrete.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for measuring or testing the relative placeability of unset concrete mixes of low plastic properties.

The usual methods, such as for example the slump test or flow-table test, for measuring the plastic properties of concrete mixes of the usual type having suihcient cement and water to provide plastic flow, are of little or no value when used on harsh mixtures resulting from low cement content, or very low water ratios, or involving excessively sharp aggregates. In practice, it has been found that these harsh mixtures may be compacted by internal vibration, even when plastic flow is lacking when the material is unvibrated. There the vibrational energy is sufiicient, the vibrating material takes on a simulated plasticity which permits it to be placed and compacted. The apparatus of this invention is adapted to measure and compare the placeability under vibration of these harsh non-plastic mixtures.

In general, the determination of the places.- bility consists in measuring the time rate of flow, under vibration, of substantially non-plastic mixtures such as concrete. To accomplish this, I confine a known volume of the mixture so that it may flow downwardly when acted upon simultaneously by gravity and vibration. It has been found that the harsh mixtures to which this invention is particularly applicable, when confined laterally and in the absence of vibration, do not flow plastically under the influence of gravity, but when vibration is applied to the material, if free to move under the influence of gravity, a simulated plastic flow may be induced, and the time rate of this flow may be measured.

The invention will be understood best by reference to the accompanying drawings showing several forms of apparatus in which the measurement may be carried out, in which Fig. l is an elevation, partly in section, showing one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, showing an alternative form of apparatus of my invention; Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, showing still another form of apparatus of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus consists generally of a discharge hopper II; a receiving container I2, and a vibrator mechanism I3. Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the upper or discharging hopper II is an openended elongated, vertical cylinder having a sliding gate valve I4 near its lower end. It is desirable that this gate valve, [4, when open, will permit the unrestricted flow of material, 1. e. the opening is the same as the cross-sectional area of the cylinder II A ring frame member I5 having inverted legs I6 attached to the outside of the cylinder II, supports the cylinder and its appurtenances, and fits within and near the top rim of the receiving container I2, which is suspended for vibration by the braces i9 rigidly attached to the base plate I8 at their lower ends, and at their upper ends removably attached under the overturned. rim I1. The vibrator mechanism I3 is attached rigidly to the receiving container I2, by the brackets 20. The vibrator I3 may be of any suitable type which will generate high frequency vibrations of sulficient frequency and energy to vibrate the testing device. As shown, it consists of an electric motor 2|, having a vertically disposed shaft 22 attached to the rotor 24 and revolving in bearings 25, and an eccentric weight 23 attached to the shaft 22. When the motor revolves at high speeds, preferably about 8000 R. P. M., radialv vibration in a horizontal plane is generated by the eccentric weight on the shaft, and vibrational energy is transmitted directly to the receiving container I2, and through the ring frame member I5 and the legs I6 th the cylinder II.

A gauging piston 26, adapted to move'in the cylinder II, is attached to the rod 27 which'i's provided with a cross-arm 28 at its top and guide Webs 29 intermediate the cross-arm 28 and the piston 26. The piston 26 is adapted to rest upon the top surface of the concrete in the cylinder II, and .the rate of movement of the concrete out of the cylinder I I, when the gate I4 is'opened and vibration is provided, is ascertained by timing the fall of the cross arm 28 from its upper position to some lower position. The crossarm 28 prevents the further fall of the piston when the concrete is completely discharged'from the cylinder, provided the length of the rod 21 is suitably adjusted. The cylinder II, with its gate valve I4 and the framemember I5 and legs l6 may be easily disengaged from the receiving container I2, and the receiver I2 with attached vibrator I3 may be lifted from the braces I9, to permit discharge of the batch of concrete used in the performance of the test.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, the upper cylinder and its gate valve, piston and rod, and

supporting frame are represented as similar to those of Fig. 1. The receiving container [2, however, is attached to the base plate I8 by the braces l9, which are rigidly fastened to the upper edge of the container, and to extensions of the bottom plate 30 of the container. The vibrato-r I3 is attached by clamping means 3| to a fin 32 welded to the container [2. The vibrator l3 as here shown consists of a motor means 2|, an elongated shaft 22a and an eccentric weight 23a, the shaft revolving in bearings 33 supported in an elongated casing 34.

In the form shown in Fig. 5, vibration of the 'upper cylinder II and its appurtenances is attained by supporting the cylinder on a frame 40 having legs 4| preferably rigidly attached at their lower ends to a base plate l8, and by attaching the vibrator means directly to the frame 40 supporting the cylinder I I. In this arrangement, no

receiving container need be attachechit being only necessary that the discharge from the upper cylinder may fall freely under the force of gravity when the apparatus is vibrated and the slide valve i4 is open. This simpler form of apparatus does not permit any measurements of the compacting properties of the concrete upon vibration as does the arrangements shown in Figs. 1

The procedure followed in operating the apparatus for measuring placeability of harsh concrete mixtures is, in general, to close the gate valve M, remove the piston 26 and rod 21, and substantially fill the upper cylinder II with the concrete mixture. The piston 26 is then placed on the top surface of the concrete, the gate valve I4 is opened, and simultaneously the vibrator unit 13 is set in operation. The time required to empty the cylinder, or the time required for the piston 26 to move a selected distance as measured by the movement of the rod 2'! or the cross-arm 28, is ascertained, and a comparison made with the times required for other mixtures to be discharged in the same apparatus operating under closely similar conditions. In the forms of apparatus in which the'receiving container l2 is'vibrated, additional measurements and observations may be made upon the formed concrete mass in the receiver' I2, after compaction by the vibration of the whole apparatus during the vibration to determine rate of flow from' the upper cylinder. When used in'this' manner, the vibration is discontinued, and the timing ended, when the piston 26 rests upon the surface of the compacted block of concrete just below the discharge mouth of the cylinder H and in the container l2. The formed block of concrete in the receiving container may beremoved by disassembly of the apparatus and inverting the receiving container I2, the inverted cone-shape of the latter permitting easy removal, with or without subsequent vibration of the inverted receiving container 12 by its attached vibrator means [3,

By means of this apparatus for measuring the placeability or workability of non-plastic, harsh concrete mixtures, valuable information may be readily obtained by which better control of the composition of these concrete mixtures may be attained. 7

While I have disclosed several forms of apparatus in which'the measurement of certain physical properties of unset concrete of low plasticity may be carried out, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of constructionshown and'described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for measuring properties of unset concrete comprising an elongated discharge hopper of substantially uniform cross-section, gate means for closing and opening said hopper near its lower end, means for supporting said hopper so that concrete therein may be discharged freely through said gate means, and means for vibrating said hopper.

2. An apparatus for measuring properties of unset concrete comprising an elongated discharge hopper of substantially uniform cross-section, gate means for closing and opening said hopper near its lower end, means for supporting said hopper so that it may discharge concrete freely through said gate means, a vibrator adapted to vibrate said hopper, and means for continuously indicating the position of the top level of the concrete in the hopper.

3. An apparatus for measuring properties of unset concrete comprising an elongated discharge hopper of substantially uniform cross-section, gate means for closing and opening said hopper near its lower end, means for supporting said I V hopper so that it may discharge concrete freely 4. An apparatus for measuring properties of unset concrete comprising an elongated discharging hopper having a substantially uniform crosssection, gate-means for opening and closing said hopper near its lower end, a receiving container below said hopper and attached thereto, and means for vibrating said receiving container.

5. An apparatus for measuring properties of unset concrete comprising an elongated discharging hopper having asubstantially uniform crosssection, gate means for opening and closingsaid hopper near its lower end, a receiving container substantially centered below said hopper and attached thereto, means for vibrating said receiving container, and means for continuously indicating the position of the top level of the concrete in the hopper when the concrete is being discharged through said gate means.

6. An apparatus for measuring properties of unset concrete comprising anelongated discharging hopper, gate means foropening and closing said hopper near its lower end, a receiving container substantially centered below said hopper and attached thereto, means for vibrating said receiver container, anda handled plunger for continuously indicating the position of the top level of the concrete in the hopper.

7. An apparatus for measuring properties of unset concrete comprising a base plate, a receiving container rigidly attached to saidbase plate, an elongated discharge hopper having gate means near its lower end forlclosing and opening said hopper, supporting means for said hopper removably attached to saidreceiving container so thatconcrete may be freely discharged through said gate means from the hopper to the container, means for vibratingsaid hopper and said container, and means for continuously indicating the position of the top level of the concrete in the hopper when concrete is being discharged through said gate means- 8. An apparatus for measuring properties of unset concretecomprising an elongated discharging hopper, gate means for opening and closing receiving container, and an elongated rod on said plunger protruding from the top of the hopper, and adapted to indicate the position of the top surface of the concrete at all times during the 5 test.

G. W. HUTCHINSON. 

